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Mark Hunt says he will file a lawsuit against any opponent caught cheating
Mark Hunt still has a lot of issues with the UFC's anti-doping policy but ultimately he accepted a fight against Alistair Overeem on March 4 because he felt like he had no other choice.
Hunt has been waging a very public campaign against his employers after he faced former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 and it was later discovered that he had failed a pre-fight drug test.
Since then, Hunt has blasted the UFC for putting him into the Octagon with a cheater not to mention his issue with Lesnar not being punished enough for failing two drug tests — one pre-fight and another on the night of their fight.
Hunt even explored possible legal options to go after the UFC to put a clause in his contract for any future bouts where his opponents would lose their entire fight purse if they were caught cheating.
Despite those demands, Hunt still accepted a fight against Alistair Overeem at UFC 209 but according to the 42-year old veteran, it was done out of necessity rather than choice.
"I'm not young, I'm 42 years old. In six months I've already missed out on a couple of fights, I've already missed out on a couple million dollars," Hunt told Stuff in his home country of New Zealand. "At the end of the day I've stuck to my word. I've got no option, I'm in a contract that I can't get out of.
"All the doors I've gone through are closed and it's not like I can go and work somewhere else. Ages ago I was gladly ready to walk away and work somewhere else but they wouldn't allow it. Think it from my position, I had no other option. I can't work anywhere else so what am I supposed to do — let my family starve?"
While the UFC didn't add the clause to his contract as requested, Hunt says he has other plans if Overeem or any other opponent he faces in the Octagon tests positive for a banned substance.
"Every fighter I fight, if he gets caught through the process then I'll sue him personally," Hunt said. "If I don't get help from the company I'll do it myself."
It's clear Hunt isn't letting go of his grudge against the UFC for not making stiffer penalties for fighters caught cheating but he's also still taking the fight with Overeem in March.
Hunt's ire is also pointed in Lesnar's direction as well after he was suspended for one year for the failed drug tests while being fined $250,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission as a financial penalty.
The result in the fight with Hunt was also overturned to a no contest.
That's simply not enough according to Hunt because the financial penalty didn't hit Lesnar where it would hurt him the most — in the bank account.
The $250,000 fine was 10-percent of Lesnar's purse for UFC 200 — $2.5 million — but didn't touch what the current WWE superstar also made on pay-per-view revenue, which likely doubled or even tripled the amount he made for the fight with Hunt.
"I didn't even think the other (Nevada Commission) penalty was harsh enough. He got a $250,000 fine but he made about $2 million bucks so how did it actually affect him?" Hunt said.
"They (dopers) should be struck from the records and taken everything off them. They don't deserve to get a cent. This sport is already harsh enough as it is. When you add in steroid use it makes it even worse."
